# Kortix vs LibreChat: the open-source AI Operating System

> Choosing between Kortix and LibreChat comes down to what you want to own. LibreChat is a self-hosted interface for AI conversations. Kortix is the open-source AI Operating System: your agents, skills, memory and connectors in one git repo you own.

URL: https://librechatalternative.com/kortix-vs-librechat

## Kortix and LibreChat at a glance

Kortix is the open-source AI Operating System; LibreChat is a self-hosted interface for AI conversations.

| | Kortix (recommended) | LibreChat |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Open source | Open source. Read it, fork it, audit it. | Open source, self-hosted web application. |
| What it is | The open-source AI Operating System | One unified interface for AI conversations |
| Where it runs | Kortix Cloud, your VPC, or on-prem | Self-hosted on your own server |
| Models | Any model provider with your own keys | Add your own model API key |
| Connectors | 3,000+ apps in a click, plus MCP, OpenAPI, GraphQL | MCP integration with external tools |
| Document search | Company memory in a git repo you own | RAG search over uploaded files |
| Agents | Agents that do finished work, reviewed by people | Agents with file handling and code interpretation |

## The whole setup lives in a repo you own

`terminal`

```sh
# 1 · Install the CLI
curl -fsSL https://kortix.com/install | bash
# 2 · Scaffold a project: kortix.yaml plus your agents, skills and runtime config
kortix init
# 3 · Ship it: pushes your repo and brings the whole thing live in the cloud
kortix ship
```

Source: https://github.com/kortix-ai/suna

Three commands from the Kortix README.

## What Kortix and LibreChat are

LibreChat is a self-hosted web application that gathers AI conversations into one customizable interface. You install it on your own server, usually with Docker, add a model API key, and reach the models and MCP tools you connect. LibreChat's own feature pages list agents with file handling, code interpretation and API actions, plus a RAG API that indexes uploaded documents for retrieval.

Kortix is the open-source AI Operating System. Your agents, their skills, your company memory, and every connector live in one git repo you own, and each session runs on its own cloud computer. Session work reaches `main` through a change request. Between a chat interface you run and a system your team owns end to end, Kortix is the recommendation here.

## How Kortix and LibreChat compare

The comparison table on this page marks the rows that settle most evaluations. Both tools are open source, and both let a team bring its own model API keys, so the difference is in what each one owns and runs.

LibreChat covers the conversation layer. It is a front end over the models and MCP tools you attach, and the deployment and the data stay on your server. Document questions are answered through the RAG API over the files you upload.

Kortix covers the whole stack. One repo holds the agents, the skills, the memory and the connector configuration. Kortix runs it on Kortix Cloud, in your VPC, or on your own on-prem network, and self-host is free. Connector credentials are brokered server-side and never enter the machine, so a connected app is reached without handing the raw value to the session.

Kortix also governs the work. The project carries per-resource permissions for people and agents, roles, groups, and an audit trail. Session work reaches `main` through a change request, and merge is default-deny for agents, so a person reads the diff before it lands.

## Who should pick which

LibreChat suits a person or a small team that wants a self-hosted interface for AI conversations, with their own model API keys and MCP tools attached, and no need to govern or review agent work at the platform level.

Kortix suits a team that wants agents to do finished work and take real actions in connected tools, with the whole setup in a repo the company owns, each session on its own cloud computer, and a person approving what lands. Teams that need per-resource permissions, an audit trail, and self-host, VPC or on-prem hosting pick Kortix. [Read the docs](https://kortix.com/docs) to see how a project is set up.

[Kortix vs LibreChat](https://kortix.com/blog/kortix-vs-librechat) · [LibreChat alternatives](/librechat-alternatives) · [Is LibreChat free?](/is-librechat-free)

## Questions buyers ask before choosing

### Is Kortix a drop-in replacement for LibreChat?

No. LibreChat is a chat interface over the models you connect. Kortix is an open-source AI Operating System whose agents run on their own cloud computers and land work through a change request.

### Can I self-host Kortix the way I self-host LibreChat?

Yes. Kortix runs on Kortix Cloud, in your VPC, or on your own on-prem network, and self-host is free. LibreChat is also self-hosted, so each keeps the deployment on the team's side.

### Which models can each one use?

Both let a team bring its own keys. Kortix works with any model provider with your own keys, and LibreChat asks for a model API key during setup.

## Run your company from one repo you own.

Open source, self-hostable, and yours to audit.

[Try Kortix](https://kortix.com) · [Read the docs](https://kortix.com/docs)

Open source · Any model, your keys · Self-host, VPC, or on-prem